This time, it's all about the...
I've bought and received more CDs over the past two months (December and January) than I've picked up in 2 years. I'm big on illegally downloading stuff.MUSIC
Reason 1) I'm poor, and can't afford to buy all the music I want.
Reason 2) Because I'm poor and I can't afford to buy the music anyway, nobody actually loses out on any money.
Reason 3) I was born to be a pirate. But I had the misfortune of not being born in Somalia to sign up for with a crew on a shanty.
Before I get on to the topic of music though, I want to mention the pirates in Somalia. The reason nobody is taking them seriously is because they're getting called pirates. In the western world we all think of pirates as Johnny Depps and Yellowbeards.
I just pooped my pants a little.What the pirates in Somalia need is a new name. I hate to say it but something like "Sea Terrorists" would probably do the trick. I don't like the use of the term Terrorist, but I think more than any radical Muslim that the US would villainize, the pirates in Somalia are true terrorists.
Okay, side note finished.
I'm going to cover four albums here. All of them are decent, but some more so than others.
Challengers by The New Pornographers (2007)
I picked this little ditty up in December right after Christmas. For some reason I had been watching The New Pornographer's music video for a song from this album (Myriad Harbour) and it was so good I had to buy the whole CD.
The New Pornographers have been around the Canadian Rock scene for more than a decade now, though when this CD came out they were just on the cusp of year ten. They're a Canadian Super-Band formed of members from lots of different bands, such as Limblifter, Destroyer, and Age of Electric, just to name a few. Lots of the members have had successful solo careers too.
So they've been doing their thing, being the indie-canadian rockers they are to great success.
This latest album of theirs is very good. A few of the songs come to mind, but overall the disc is dominated by their single "Myriad Harbour." I can't really describe it, you'll just have to hear it. The lyrics alone make the song worth hearing. The Pornographers brought in acclaimed song-writer (at least thats what all the cool people are saying on their hipster websites) Dan Bejar.
The music video, which I have gushed about before to anyone who'll listen to me, is sublime. It was directed by Mark Lomond, who is entirely new to me, but if the video is any indication, he's capable of mighty things.
But this is a review of the album Challengers, not the song Myriad Harbour. The disc falls a little flat sometimes. I personally think the album has a hard time finding a balance between being slow and depressing, and being slow and happy. Also sometimes I find the female vocalist (I don't know which one it is, I think there's two chick singers in the band) to be a little grating on the ears.
If you like pop/rock sounding stuff, This is definitely worth your time. This is something that I think someone who likes Joel Plaskett or Cold War Kids might enjoy. Go online and find a song sampler though, the days of shooting blindly at an album are over.
Second Album:
The New Pornographers have been around the Canadian Rock scene for more than a decade now, though when this CD came out they were just on the cusp of year ten. They're a Canadian Super-Band formed of members from lots of different bands, such as Limblifter, Destroyer, and Age of Electric, just to name a few. Lots of the members have had successful solo careers too.
So they've been doing their thing, being the indie-canadian rockers they are to great success.
This latest album of theirs is very good. A few of the songs come to mind, but overall the disc is dominated by their single "Myriad Harbour." I can't really describe it, you'll just have to hear it. The lyrics alone make the song worth hearing. The Pornographers brought in acclaimed song-writer (at least thats what all the cool people are saying on their hipster websites) Dan Bejar.
The music video, which I have gushed about before to anyone who'll listen to me, is sublime. It was directed by Mark Lomond, who is entirely new to me, but if the video is any indication, he's capable of mighty things.
But this is a review of the album Challengers, not the song Myriad Harbour. The disc falls a little flat sometimes. I personally think the album has a hard time finding a balance between being slow and depressing, and being slow and happy. Also sometimes I find the female vocalist (I don't know which one it is, I think there's two chick singers in the band) to be a little grating on the ears.
If you like pop/rock sounding stuff, This is definitely worth your time. This is something that I think someone who likes Joel Plaskett or Cold War Kids might enjoy. Go online and find a song sampler though, the days of shooting blindly at an album are over.
Second Album:
Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride by The Go (2007)
This is a killer album! So good! I don't think there are enough words to describe this album's excellence.
But I shall try.
First off though, some band history. This band's main folk are some boy's from Detroit who have been making music since 1998. Their band has underwent many member changes, and featured some notable guests. Jack White of The White Stripes actually helped form the band. But then, whose band wasn't formed by, or hasn't featured Jack White at some point?
Howl on the Haunted Beat is The Go's third album, and (according to Wikipedia) marks a departure from their usual sound. This is the only Go album I've heard, so if they keep up the good work I will definitely be buying their next disc.
Not only is the album good, but the CD case is great. It's been designed to look like a fold open record sleeve. I know some of you out there aren't as familiar with records as I am, but trust me, this a beautiful throwback to the days I never lived during when record sleeves were a real canvas for musicians.
The way the album plays actually feels like you're listening to a record. Not in that scratchy extraneous noise way, but the way the songs are arranged. It's like it has two separate halves. For the first six songs, if you're not paying attention you won't notice the transition between them. They all compliment each other so well that you may as well be hearing one long tune.
The second half only gets better, and departs from the first half's smooth continuity. This is where the band lets loose on a wide range of sounds and styles. Some of the songs sounded like odd tributes to The Who specifically and 60s to 70s brit-pop bands in general. In fact, unless I had read on the site where I bought the disc that these guys are from the states, I would have thought they were from England. I'm still a little dubious actually. These guys have a distinctively British sound.
Such a good CD.
I won't recommend this album to anyone who doesn't like brit-pop. This cd is also a little psychadelic. But even if you don't like those types of music, you'll want to find song samples of though just to check it out. If your world is feeling a little musically dry, The Go's 'Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride' could be the refreshing drop of rain you're looking for.
Album Number 3:
But I shall try.
First off though, some band history. This band's main folk are some boy's from Detroit who have been making music since 1998. Their band has underwent many member changes, and featured some notable guests. Jack White of The White Stripes actually helped form the band. But then, whose band wasn't formed by, or hasn't featured Jack White at some point?
Howl on the Haunted Beat is The Go's third album, and (according to Wikipedia) marks a departure from their usual sound. This is the only Go album I've heard, so if they keep up the good work I will definitely be buying their next disc.
Not only is the album good, but the CD case is great. It's been designed to look like a fold open record sleeve. I know some of you out there aren't as familiar with records as I am, but trust me, this a beautiful throwback to the days I never lived during when record sleeves were a real canvas for musicians.
The way the album plays actually feels like you're listening to a record. Not in that scratchy extraneous noise way, but the way the songs are arranged. It's like it has two separate halves. For the first six songs, if you're not paying attention you won't notice the transition between them. They all compliment each other so well that you may as well be hearing one long tune.
The second half only gets better, and departs from the first half's smooth continuity. This is where the band lets loose on a wide range of sounds and styles. Some of the songs sounded like odd tributes to The Who specifically and 60s to 70s brit-pop bands in general. In fact, unless I had read on the site where I bought the disc that these guys are from the states, I would have thought they were from England. I'm still a little dubious actually. These guys have a distinctively British sound.
Such a good CD.
I won't recommend this album to anyone who doesn't like brit-pop. This cd is also a little psychadelic. But even if you don't like those types of music, you'll want to find song samples of though just to check it out. If your world is feeling a little musically dry, The Go's 'Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride' could be the refreshing drop of rain you're looking for.
Album Number 3:
Trouble - Smoke and Mirrors Band
This is a very different album. Very good, but different.
I can't tell you much about this band other than they're from South Dakota and do some touring around the area. I can imagine this being a group that would be awesome to see live.
They have a folksy/rock/punk sound. It really changes from song to song. If I had to compare them to a band you've likely heard before, I'd say they're a lot like the Dropkick Murphys. But with more accordian.
On the subject of accordions, this band uses one quite a bit, and it blends really well for them. Sometimes I hear an accordion in songs and I'm like "What the futch were you thinking?"
This band replaces the bagpipes in the Dropkick Murphys with an accordion and it really works for them. Despite the Murphys being an American band, Smoke and Mirrors sounds far more American. The difference I think though comes from The Murphys trying very hard to sound Irish. They do a good job, sometimes they try a little to hard to escape their homeland though. But don't get me wrong, the Murphys are awesome.
This album starts off with a bang and ends with a bang. Their first and last songs are amazing. Very good candidates for a kickass music video that tells a story. Everything in between is just delicious gravy.
I didn't like this album off the hop. I really didn't like it actually. Usually I listen to music while browsing the internet or playing a computer game so I don't really pay attention to the lyrics. Musically, they're an alright band. They do some cool stuff, but nothing that I haven't heard before, and nothing that I couldn't easily find elsewhere. Lyrically, they're amazing. While painting a picture this weekend I put it on and actually listened to what the CD had to say. Put the lyrics and the music together and you have a killer combo! This CD went from zero to hero in a flash.
Check this one out if you like Flogging Molly or The Dropkick Murphys. I'm giving it a 95% chance that you'll enjoy what you hear if you like either of those bands. Or if perhaps you're just in the mood for some rock music that tells a story, you won't go wrong with a little Smoke and Mirrors.
Now for the final album
I can't tell you much about this band other than they're from South Dakota and do some touring around the area. I can imagine this being a group that would be awesome to see live.
They have a folksy/rock/punk sound. It really changes from song to song. If I had to compare them to a band you've likely heard before, I'd say they're a lot like the Dropkick Murphys. But with more accordian.
On the subject of accordions, this band uses one quite a bit, and it blends really well for them. Sometimes I hear an accordion in songs and I'm like "What the futch were you thinking?"
This band replaces the bagpipes in the Dropkick Murphys with an accordion and it really works for them. Despite the Murphys being an American band, Smoke and Mirrors sounds far more American. The difference I think though comes from The Murphys trying very hard to sound Irish. They do a good job, sometimes they try a little to hard to escape their homeland though. But don't get me wrong, the Murphys are awesome.
This album starts off with a bang and ends with a bang. Their first and last songs are amazing. Very good candidates for a kickass music video that tells a story. Everything in between is just delicious gravy.
I didn't like this album off the hop. I really didn't like it actually. Usually I listen to music while browsing the internet or playing a computer game so I don't really pay attention to the lyrics. Musically, they're an alright band. They do some cool stuff, but nothing that I haven't heard before, and nothing that I couldn't easily find elsewhere. Lyrically, they're amazing. While painting a picture this weekend I put it on and actually listened to what the CD had to say. Put the lyrics and the music together and you have a killer combo! This CD went from zero to hero in a flash.
Check this one out if you like Flogging Molly or The Dropkick Murphys. I'm giving it a 95% chance that you'll enjoy what you hear if you like either of those bands. Or if perhaps you're just in the mood for some rock music that tells a story, you won't go wrong with a little Smoke and Mirrors.
Now for the final album
The Hosts - self titled album (2008)
This album was the one I really wanted when I originally bought The Go previous two albums online. I did that mainly to beef up the order so I wouldn't have to pay shipping.
Despite how much I anticipated this CD, I've been seriously underwhelmed. I listened to a couple of their songs and was thoroughly impressed with the quality and style. But I guess when you put one foot forward you put the best one out there, because the rest of the CD is pretty much a flop.
Out of twelve songs, I think I only really enjoy about 3 of them. The rest are just a band who either passed their passed or probably won't reach it. This is their first and only CD so far. I'd call it 'formative.' I get the feeling that the band is proud of their first disc, and really tried hard at it, but they need some new material to work with.
They have a really interesting sound. The only word I can think to describe it is "Jangly." The album is very 'jangly.' Lyrically, it's pretty tame. A couple of the songs are very good, but rest...meh.
In the way that The Go did a callback to days gone by with their album and really rocked at it, The Hosts kind of sound like a band who has a lot of talent, but not enough imagination to throwback but still make a sound all their own. You know what I mean? It's like a band you know could be a killer cover band, but wants to play their own stuff, and when they do, while it's good, it's not good enough.
It's hard to explain what I mean, especially since music is so subjective. I think that's how you use that word.
I won't recommend this disc. It was good, but not something worth paying for. I think if I were about thirty years older and were interested in a referential style to sixties coastal rock, I'd enjoy this a lot more. But I'm not. I'd rather listen to my Flower Power Time Life Music Collection. Now that is a good CD set.
So, In summary:
The New Pornographers - Check it out
The Go - Definitely check it out
Smoke and Mirrors Band - Check it out
The Hosts - Don't bother until further notice
Despite how much I anticipated this CD, I've been seriously underwhelmed. I listened to a couple of their songs and was thoroughly impressed with the quality and style. But I guess when you put one foot forward you put the best one out there, because the rest of the CD is pretty much a flop.
Out of twelve songs, I think I only really enjoy about 3 of them. The rest are just a band who either passed their passed or probably won't reach it. This is their first and only CD so far. I'd call it 'formative.' I get the feeling that the band is proud of their first disc, and really tried hard at it, but they need some new material to work with.
They have a really interesting sound. The only word I can think to describe it is "Jangly." The album is very 'jangly.' Lyrically, it's pretty tame. A couple of the songs are very good, but rest...meh.
In the way that The Go did a callback to days gone by with their album and really rocked at it, The Hosts kind of sound like a band who has a lot of talent, but not enough imagination to throwback but still make a sound all their own. You know what I mean? It's like a band you know could be a killer cover band, but wants to play their own stuff, and when they do, while it's good, it's not good enough.
It's hard to explain what I mean, especially since music is so subjective. I think that's how you use that word.
I won't recommend this disc. It was good, but not something worth paying for. I think if I were about thirty years older and were interested in a referential style to sixties coastal rock, I'd enjoy this a lot more. But I'm not. I'd rather listen to my Flower Power Time Life Music Collection. Now that is a good CD set.
So, In summary:
The New Pornographers - Check it out
The Go - Definitely check it out
Smoke and Mirrors Band - Check it out
The Hosts - Don't bother until further notice
1 comment:
...sea terrorists...
LMFAO!
Thanks for the music reviews. I'll have to check it out soon!
Post a Comment